Olivia Rodrigo has revealed the names of the rock bands that not only rocked the stage back then, but also rocked Rodrigo's creativity today. Known for her emotionally charged pop and pop-punk style, Rodrigo has released two studio albums blending raw introspection with rock-infused melodies. As she prepares her third studio album, Olivia Rodrigo points to three legendary bands as the creative spark behind it.

The pop star offered a controlled hint at the direction of her third studio album on the Music Makes Us podcast. Instead of making a formal announcement, the 'GUTS' artist pointed toward the music shaping her creative mindset after Glastonbury.

"I did Glastonbury with Robert Smith of The Cure. After that, I’ve been diving deeper into The Cure’s discography, as well as some of their contemporaries like New Order and Joy Division," she said on the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame podcast presented by Kathleen Hanna.

This influence, as she shared on the Music Makes Us podcast, reached the Pyramid Stage, where Rodrigo performed ‘Friday I’m In Love’ and ‘Just Like Heaven’ alongside Smith and introduced Robert Smith as her hero.

This makes the revelation about The Cure being one of the rock legends that inspired her seem less surprising and gives rise to further theories about her upcoming album.

Olivia Rodrigo's O3 hints fans should not miss out on

One of the biggest hints for her third studio album, often called OR3 by fans, is the album's color. Multiple visual cues hint that Olivia Rodrigo may be shifting aesthetics. Her website logo changed from purple to red in August, while red dominated recent festival outfits and awards appearances, reinforcing speculation rather than confirmation.

Album title theories center on repetition and symbolism rather than official statements. Fans point to recurring ladybugs, four-leaf clovers, and polka dots as possible references to luck, and the album's name being related to it.

Rodrigo has already had to step in once, confirming that the album will not be titled CARD in an interview with Cosmopolitan, leaving those theories unresolved. This insinuated that until any official confirmation, OR3 exists only through observable signals, public statements, and fan interpretation, not official confirmation.

What are you expecting from Olivia Rodrigo's third studio album? Let us know your hints and theories in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Itti Mahajan